"Conlin concedes, Sawant becomes Seattle's first socialist council member"

[eridani]

10. Just as a point of information, Conlin did not have "countless volunteers"

He didn't have any kind of campaign at all except for a few mailers. Of course all the Precinct Committee Officers in all the legislative districts in or partly in Seattle which endorsed him did their duty and passed out LD endorsement flyers to all known Strong Democrats and Leaning Democratic voters who voted in at least 2 out of the last 4 elections. That is campaigning for an endorsed slate, though, not campaigning for any specific candidate.

Usually for incumbent Seattle City Council members that is enough, especially if your opponents are fruitcakes without campaigns themselves--which all were except for Albert Shen (33% of the vote against MIke O'Brien), who hates bike lanes and legal marijuana. Clearly it is not enough if your opponent has real campaign volunteers who do a lot of wll-organized doorbelling and phonebanking.